6M$M Introduction Steve Austin: astronaut. A man barely alive... �Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world�s first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better. Stronger. Faster.� When astronaut Colonel Steve Austin pilots the test-flight of a new delta-wing plane for the government, the aircraft suddenly suffers a mechanical malfunction and crashes to the ground below; critically injured, Steve is rushed to hospital for treatment, but all seems hopeless. That is, until Oliver Spencer, the head of the O.S.I. - a top secret U.S. special intelligence organisation - authorises Doctor Rudy Wells to rebuild Steve�s ruined body using state-of-the-art bionic parts. With his right arm and both legs replaced by powerful mechanical parts, and his left eye now equipped with a telephoto lens, Steve begins a slow, painful recovery. However, it is not long before he agrees to carry out missions for the O.S.I.

� missions that are beyond the ability of a normal man, but easily possible for one equipped with bionics� �The Six Million Dollar Man� was created by Kenneth Johnson and television veteran Harve Bennett, and was based on the novel �Cyborg� by Martin Caldin. The pilot movie had a simple but innovative premise, coming at a time when the concept of replacement, mechanical limbs was still regarded as science fiction; of course now the idea is commonplace, but shows how ahead of its time the series was. An inspired piece of casting saw Lee Majors given the role of Steve Austin, a part he played with charismatic charm, masculine posing and trendy outfits, proving a hit with the ladies and inspiring men and boys to be just like him. When a second television movie followed the character of Oscar Goldman was introduced, played with great authority by Richard Anderson, and Doctor Rudy Wells changed from Martin Balsam to Alan Oppenheimer.

After a third movie the show then went to series; initially the stories were an eclectic mixture of spies, criminals and mad scientists, but it wasn�t long before more fantastical elements were introduced, as Steve came face to face with Bigfoot, alien visitors, trained killer sharks, murderous rogue space probes and a seven million dollar man. �The Six Million Dollar Man� proved incredibly popular, catching the public�s imagination and providing children across the country with the incentive to run round playgrounds in slow motion, just like their bionic hero. The show ran for five seasons and six TV movies, and spawned a spin-off series, �The Bionic Woman�, featuring Steve�s ex-girlfriend, Jaime Sommers (played by Lindsay Wagner), who was also unlucky enough to be in a life-threatening accident, and subsequently given bionic legs, arm and an ear. As Rudy changed yet again, into Martin B. Brooks, the bionic roster continued to grow, with the appearance of a bionic boy, a bionic girl, and even a bionic dog� With repeats constantly being shown around the world, the show is still as enjoyable now as it was then, and provides a classic slice of 70s adventure.

Back to the Databanks Main Page - where you'll find guides to some of the best cult and classic science fiction and telefantasy programmes ever transmitted! Legal Bit: 'The Six Million Dollar Man' and 'The Bionic Woman' are registered trademarks of MCA / Universal Studios. The 'Six Million Dollar Man' and 'Bionic Woman' logos and all images from the television series are copyright MCA / Universal Studios unless otherwise stated; music is copyright the original composers and producers; no copyright infringement is intended. All specially created images and text are copyright � Clive Banks; please do not use these without my permission. All rights reserved. No profit is made from this website, and any revenue made from using the banner-links featured goes straight back into the costs of maintaining it, which comes out of my own pocket in the first place. No profit advertising is accepted. This website was created purely to entertain and amuse, and any references to persons living, dead, comatose, in suspended animation, not born yet, or a figment of someone's imagination is purely coincidental. All opinions expressed are my own, so there...

You can buy DVDs, VHSs, books, toys and much more on 'The Six Million Dollar Man' and other classic shows at: Search Now: Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man Real Name: Colonel Steve Austin Identity/Class: Cyborg Occupation: Secret agent; former astronaut Affiliations: OSI; Jaime Sommers (a.k.a. the Bionic Woman ); Oscar Goldman; Rudy Wells; Bigfoot Enemies: Barney Miller (a.k.a. The Seven Million Dollar Man); Bigfoot Known Relatives: Jaime Sommers (wife) Aliases: None First Appearance: Cyborg (novel by Martin Caidin) Other Appearances: Six Million Dollar Man (TV series), Bionic Woman (TV series) Powers/Abilities:Thanks to his bionic limbs Steve can run at around sixty miles an hour, and lift weights impossible for normal men. His a bionic eye grants him telescopic vision. History: "Steve Austin, astronaut, a man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him, we have the technology. We have the capability to make the worlds first Bionic Man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better. Stronger.

Faster." Steve Austin was a former astronaut who was severely injured when his experimental plane crashed. He lost his legs, his right arm and his left eye in the crash, and his life was only saved by extensive bionic surgery, performed at the behest of the U.S. government, who were looking for a test subject for the new technology. Now equipped with state of the art mechanical replacements for his missing appendages, he works as a special operative for The Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI), a covert branch of the US government. During his adventures he encountered a number of unusual threats, including the rogue Seven Million Dollar Man, Barney Miller, and Bigfoot, a bionic android working for aliens. He reported to Oscar Goldman, and was romantically involved with Jaime Sommers, the Bionic Woman . Comments:Played by Lee Majors in the long-running TV show, based on the novel. Oscar was played by Richard Anderson. In the forthcoming movie adaption he will be played by Jim Carrey (shudder). His bionics were designed by Dr. Rudy Wells (played by Martin E.

Brooks), who also created the Seven Million Dollar Man, the Bionic Woman, Max the bionic dog, and a bionic boy. Thanks to David Spence for the Jim Carrey information. CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with Lee Majors - Hollywood Star Walk - Los Angeles Times Hollywood Star Walk Born April 23, 1939 in Wyandotte, MI Lee Majors had his first big break on the TV western “The Big Valley” in the 1960s and his last big role as the stuntman at the center of “The Fall Guy” in the ’80s, but it was playing Col. Steve Austin on “The Six Million Dollar Man” from 1974 to 1978 that made him a pop culture touchstone. Majors played an astronaut, “a man barely alive” after crashing in a test flight vehicle, who was rebuilt with electronics. As the show’s intro stated, “We can make him better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.” With a new arm, eye and pair of legs, Austin employed his superhuman abilities as a government agent.

Off the screen, Majors had another claim to fame: From 1973 to 1982, he was married to Farrah Fawcett (his second wife, of an eventual four), and with her starring in the hit “Charlie’s Angels,” the two formed a true TV power couple. Fawcett’s “Charlie’s Angels” contract even stated that she had to be home by 6:30 nightly to make dinner for Majors. Though their marriage ended in divorce, when Fawcett died in 2009, Majors called her “an angel on earth and, now, an angel forever.” — Scott Sandell for the Los Angeles Times Feb. 25, 2010 More stars in... Share a thought about Lee Majors Did you ever meet Lee Majors? Share your memory. Which other stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame have connections to Lee Majors? Are other places in the world important to Lee Majors? Does Lee Majors deserve this star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

If you enter anything in this field your comment will be treated as spam Name "The Six Million Dollar Man" Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb trailers and videos full cast and crew trivia official sites memorable quotes Overview 32 out of 37 people found the following review useful: You Gotta Love This! from Kansas City, MO, USA 30 August 2000 This is one of the ways you can tell you're getting old: when someone says the name "Steve Austin." Do you think of a bald wrestler rolling around on the mat groping other guys, or Lee Majors moving in slow motion and squinting? I think of the latter. "The Six Million Dollar Man" is one of the first shows I remember watching as a child. I watched the shows, I played with the toys, I wanted to BE Steve Austin. Lee Majors (along with Clint Eastwood) proved that some people look so cool when they squint. I look like I need my prescription checked when I do it, but I'm not Lee Majors. Steve Austin could handle anything they threw at him, not just because of his bionics, but because he was smart, he never gave up and always kept his cool.

I still want to be like him when I grow up. Recently, I've seen some episodes on the Sci-Fi Channel. Sure, the 1970s fashions are a little jarring (polyester rules!), and sometimes the plots are juvenile, but overall the show holds up pretty well. It could be very intelligent when it wanted to be, funny when it was called for, and always exciting and fun. It reminds me of a time when six million dollars was a lot of money, and American technology could produce wonders like a functional cyborg. Yeah, I'll take Lee Majors over the bald wrestling guy any day. After all, how many wrestlers could take on spies, terrorists, aliens, Bigfoot, a killer Venus probe and Sonny Bono and live to tell the tale? Was the above review useful to you? 30 out of 35 people found the following review useful: One of the best T.V shows ever! from Toronto, Ontario 29 June 1999 The Six Million Dollar Man was a show that was entertaining and it actually taught me about romance. I was about six when I first started watching it. I was enthralled by the action and the feats that this man could perform.

He had a bionic right arm, two bionic legs, and a bionic eye that could enable him to see great distances. His strength was more than that of ten men. He could run faster than a car and he was a super intelligence agent. Along the way he meets a variety of interesting characters and ones that I have never forgotten about. There was Barney, the seven million dollar man who lets his bionics take over his mind and he uses them for his own benefits instead of that of his agency. Then there was the probe. The probe was a machine that was designed to go to space but never made it there. On Earth, it wreaks havoc and Steve has his hands full with it. Then of course there was Jamie Summers. She was Steve's girlfriend that has a tragic parachuting accident. Steve, blinded by love demands that she is given bionics. She receives them but she has amnesia. There love is tragically put on hold and it is this plot line that for the first time in my young life, I was taught about the power and tragedy of love. But the best of all the episodes of Steve Austin was the one's centering around Bigfoot. This also introduced the world to Andre The Giant.

The Bigfoot episodes were scary. Here is this huge creature that is also bionic and he is a little stronger, a little faster and a little more vicious than Steve Austin. It is some of the best T.V. I've ever seen and it is one that will have a lasting impression on me for the rest of my life. I remember that I asked my mom how they did all those things. How a man could jump that high, how he could lift a car and such. It was then that my parents explained to me that this was all make believe. That this is what is known as magic. Well it was from that moment on that the movies and TV captured my imagination. And for that I will be eternally greatful to The Six Million Dollar Man. Was the above review useful to you? 21 out of 22 people found the following review useful: What was it like to be a kid in the 1970's when this show came on! 23 August 2004 "THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN"-PART MAN,PART MACHINE,ALL ACTION What was it like to be a kid growing up in the 1970's when this show came on?

You see,I remember this series coming on television very well. For one,I was one of those kids who from some reason was glued to the set when this show came on Friday Nights on ABC-TV during the 1970's. I was one of those kids who for some reason went out and brought up a lot of memorabilia stuff including all of the merchandise that flew off the shelves relating to this show: Who remembers owning one of the two dolls of "The Six Million Dollar Man" action figures that were made by Mattel which featured the character with the bionic grip and not to mention his mentor who had changeable outfits,let alone tons of stuff including the GMF View-Master set of one of the episodes not to mention seeing one of your friends walking on the playground or jumping over something in slow motion....Oh yeah,that TV soundtrack to the show which had Lee Majors doing country tunes and rock and roll stuff? For the answers to the questions depicted? YES!!! I WAS THE 1970'S! FOR ONE,WAS ONE OF THE CHILDREN WHO WORSHIP QUALITY 70'S TV PROGRAMMING!

By the way,if you remember 70's TV characters like Archie Bunker,George Jefferson,Maude Findley,James and Florida Evans,Fred Sanford,Dee Pepper Columbo,Jim Rockford,and Kolchak,Baretta and not to mention Theo Kojak,then the character name of Steve Austin should come through the light! Even after all of these years,"The Six Million Dollar Man" still holds up to the test of time and to this day,it has always been a personal favorite of mine as a child,and still is regarding as a vintage classic even after some 30 years later with some of the best special effects around.

Ever since it premiered on ABC-TV in September of 1974,it was a runaway bonafide hit which was garnered huge ratings with the audience and was always in the top-ten of the Nielsens,where it stayed for six astounding seasons until its final episode of the series ended in May of 1978,after producing 108 episodes,which in turn took ABC to the top of the Nielsens where it was on one of the most watched shows during its run on Friday nights in its first four seasons,and from there in its last two the network moved the series from Friday nights to Sunday nights opposite the Sunday night competition:"60 Minutes",and "The Wonderful World Of Disney" until 1978,when the series ended. About the show.................. Long before "Cyborg" became famous with Arnold Scwarzenegger in the "Terminator" films,Lee Majors was everyone's favorite cyborg,and for every fan out there,this show delivered the goods since this was indeed part science fiction/action-adventure genre mixed in with some international espionage and political intrigue for a great effect.

Lee Majors' role as Steve Austin was in fact a combination of James Bond,part Buzz Aldrin/Chuck Yeager,part Road Runner and part Superman in which gave this series a nice mix of seriousness and fun. Let's face it,he was part-human,part-mechanical;the world's first bionic man. Better than he was before...BETTER,STRONGER,FASTER............... The character of Steve Austin,who was an astronaut who suffered an accident and was rebuilt by a government agency and was under the supervision of his boss,Oscar Goldman played by Richard Anderson,and there was Dr. Rudy Wells,played by Martin E. Brooks,who was responsible for Steve's bionic parts. The chemistry between these characters were to be tested throughout the series,but as the show progressed the chemistry between them was brilliant. The sound effects which included the bionic eye looking miles ahead,or the sound of bionic legs running faster and faster is what made this show stand out beyond them all. FANTASTIC! you say? I'll say AWESOME!........

This show was just pure fantasy from the get-go with the stories truly engaging and very well written the offered variations in excitement and imagination,and during the last two seasons of the show it suffered from repetitation since the earlier episodes(from the first three seasons)and from there the ratings slipped too. The show had a mixture of guest stars of who's who in Hollywood from William Shatner,Ted Cassidy and Andre The Giant as Bigfoot(Cassidy played him first)to the guest of TV show regulars like Gary Lockwood,John Saxon,Cathy Rigby, Lindsay Wagner(who played Steve Austin's love interest,Jamie Summers which was for the inspiration to the spin off,"The Bionic Woman"),to the strange and bizarre like Sonny Bono,Larry Csonka,and so forth. Nowadays it is a crying shame that this series is no longer shown on any cable network(cable's The Sci-Fi Channel was the last to do so...an all-day marathon of this series was shown not too long ago)or any syndicated market station doesn't show this anymore,and I wonder why? Why isn't there a big-screen version of "The Six Million Dollar Man" coming to theaters? I heard rumors its going to be George Clooney.

But by the way,while during the last two decades many of our favorite TV shows(Star Trek,The Untouchables,I Spy,Mission:Impossible,McHale's Navy,The Wild,Wild West,Lost In Space,The Fugitive,Charlie's Angels,SWAT,The Brady Bunch,The Twilight Zone,Lassie,Flipper,My 3 Sons, and not to mention our animated TV favorites Scooby Doo,The Flintstones) and cartoons(Batman,Superman,X-Men,Daredevil,Spider-Man,Hulk,The Punisher)have been made into full-length feature films,so now is the time for SMDM to give it the big-screen treatment and the respect it truly deserves. Was the above review useful to you? 15 out of 18 people found the following review useful: A TV show that holds up to the test of time from Canada 27 October 2002 Well, it holds up to the test of time in SOME ways. This show was one of my favorites as a child and if re-made today with state of the art special effects could still be a top rrated TV show or blockbuster film.

It wasn't camp, but it didn't take itself too seriously either. It had action and adventure, romance and espionage intrigue. This is the role Lee Majors was born to play, and he plays it to perfection. To most of us, he will always be the hero called Steve Austin. Other than the sometime wince-inducing special effects, this show is just as enjoyable if you catch it in re-runs today as it was during its original airing. Was the above review useful to you? 11 out of 11 people found the following review useful: The "Nice" Terminator from Xanadu 18 March 2003 Before Arnold became a Terminator, Lee Majors was everyone's favorite cyborg. For any sci-fi or adventure show fan, this was THE show of the 70's. The 60's had Kirk, Spock, Tribbles, and Klingons; the 70's had Steve Austin, Oscar Goldman, Jamie Summers, and Bigfoot. Lee Majors was Steve Austin, astronaut; a man barely alive...... There was nothing Stone Cold about this Steve Austin, except maybe his wardrobe. Lee Majors was quite entertaining as Col.

Steve Austin; part James Bond, part Buzz Aldrin/Chuck Yeager, and part Superman. Lee gave Austin a nice mix of serious and fun. Yes, his acting could be as mechanical as his bionics; but, Majors always had a bit of a twinkle in his eye (may have been the lens in the bionic one). He never took himself too seriously in the role, but could convey that emotion when the script called for it. Richard Anderson was steady as boss and pal Oscar Goldman. Like Majors, he was limited, but well suited to his character. Anderson could be a good supporting actor when he rose to the occasion; and he often did. I personally preferred Martin E. Brooks to Allan Openheimer, as Dr. Rudy Wells. Brooks came across more as a scientist. The other supporting characters varied in quality from show to show, but Rudy was always an integral part. The episodes vary in excitement and imagination. The later seasons suffered from repetition, but, the early ones hold up well as good science fiction.

Personal favorites include the death probe; the Russian installation with a doomsday device that is accidentally activated; the booby-trapped Liberty Bell; the androids; Steve's return flight in the experimental craft from the pilot movie;the Bionic Woman cross-overs; and, of course, Bigfoot. I preferred the more science fiction oriented stories to the more mundane cops and robbers shows. The show had quite a mix of guest stars. There were the greats, like William Shatner, Lou Gossett Jr., Guy Doleman (from Thunderball and the Ipcress File), and Ted Cassidy and Andre the Giant as Bigfoot (Andre played him first). There were the so-so, like Farrah Fawcett (Majors), Cathy Rigby, Gary Lockwood, and John Saxon. Then there were the strange, like Sonny Bono and Larry Csonka. This was the show that caused millions of kids in the 70's to run in slow motion, while making strange noises. It also had the coolest action figure; it came with an engine block that you could cause Steve Austin to lift, by pressing a button on his back.

You could also look through the bionic eye, although you had to make your own sound effects. I understand these things go for big bucks on eBay. Years later, I found a copy of the original novel, Cyborg, by Martin Caidin. The character was a bit different. He was more of a secret agent than in the series, and the bionics were a bit different. The eye was actually a camera, rather than a telescopic lens. It was explained that Austin's stamina was greater, since his lungs didn't have to provide oxygen to his bionic limbs. He also had special enhancements for the limbs for special missions. In one, he has webbed feet for underwater swimming. The book plays up Austin's intelligence and scientific background more. It was generally well written, and makes a nice contrast to the series. There have been rumors of an updated movie. At one point, it was pitched as a comedy with Chris Rock. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case right now. It has tremendous potential as and action/sci-fi movie, particularly with advances in special effects. Here's hoping the right script, director, and cast comes along and makes it a reality.

Of course, they'll have to adjust it for inflation; 6 million doesn't buy much these days. And defense contractors are notorious for overcharging for substandard work. While we're waiting, how about a DVD box set? Was the above review useful to you? 14 out of 17 people found the following review useful: One of my favourite TV Shows of my childhood! from Cheltenham. 15 May 2002 I loved The Six Million Dollar Man, I watched it every week if possible and actually wanted to be Bionic when I grew up! I even had Steve Austin Action figures including Oscar Goldman with his exploding Briefcase and Maskatron too. I was a big fan and still have a soft spot for the show and would happily watch it if it is being re-run on TV. It has dated badly in some ways, especially the clothes and hairstyles, but most shows from the 70's have anyway. It was corny in places too and I wonder why objects such as rocks and steel bars made a whistling noise when Steve threw them!

Also the androids were bad especially when their face came off and an actor had a mask with wires and lights on it over his/her face which meant realistically they would have had a side profile like E.T.! But on the whole I loved it and have fond memories of watching it! It is a classic 70's show! Was the above review useful to you? 11 out of 14 people found the following review useful: Steve Austin: Cyborg for the C.I.A. from Paris, France 24 December 2002 To understand the genesis of the show, watch first Harve Bennett's "The Astronaut" (1972) ---with the music of Gil Mellé-- and "Texas, We've Got a Problem" (1974). With a good, solid, realistic in treatment (psychologically and artistically), 1973 pilot produced and directed by David Irving and starring Martin Balsam as Dr. Rudy Wells (see H. G.

Wells?) and Darren McGavin as the crippled cynical and manipulator Intelligent head Oliver Spencer who is also known as newspaper "Kolchak, The Night Stalker"; the show starts very well with Gil Mellé's electronic and jazzy score a la Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew", then comes a terrible second pilot "Wine, Woman and War", produced by Michael Gleason and written by Glen A. Larson with a dreadful main title and a horrible song by Dusty Springfield in which Steve Austin is a kind of reluctant second-rate James Bond whose mission ends with an atomic explosion. The series really finds its format with the third pilot: "The Solid Gold Kidnapping" with Jack Cole's famous techno medical main title (made with footages from the two pilots, video effects and body animations). During the middle of season 1, the music department decided to add sound effects from Universal's stock music library to highlight the bionic motions (some were already used in a previous series like the 1972 E.S.P. series "The Sixth Sense"---oddly enough, you can hear a noise from a missile when Austin launches an object into the air). The series had three Dr.

Rudy Wells: one played by Martin Balsam (first pilot), by Alan Oppenheimer (pilot 2 & 3 and season 1 & 2) and by Martin E. Brooks (season 3, 4 & 5). The first two seasons ---produced by Sam Strangis/Donald R. Boyle and Lionel E. Siegel/Joe L. Cramer--- were in the line of the pilots and then occurs the transitory season 3 ---in 1975, the main composer Oliver Nelson and the music supervisor Hal Mooney left---, a season 4 with some drastic changes (bad writers and producers, the lead wears a ridiculous thin moustache, Goldman has a new office's decoration and the music is composed and renewed by J. J. Johnson) and therefore an un-inspired season 5 ---without Harve Bennett--- in which the protagonist wears a pre-"Fall Guy" haircut. TSMDM is basically an espionage series with a shallow sci-fi canvas (everybody remember the zoom shot bionic left eye with the frames or the infrared vision); notice the various martial music themes to grasp the concept of this pro-gov/militaryNASA/technology drama.

The first pilot shows an offhand and rebel Steve Austin who refuses his injured disabled condition (even try to commit suicide) and his involvement in the scientifical department of the C.I.A. (here, O.S.O.: Office of Strategic Operation, and, later O.S.I.: Office of Scientifical Intelligence): official Oliver Spencer (later Richard Anderson as Oscar Goldman) even receivs a cold slap. From season 2, we are introduced to another bionic man: paranoid auto racing Barney Miller (with a season 3 sequel) in "The Seven Million Dollar Man", and a woman: tennis champ Jaimie Sommers, in a two-parter (with a season 3 sequel too) in "The Bionic Woman". From that point, the show slips into cheap bionic new products (Bigfoot, boy, dog) with a comic book leaning.

The best episodes are those which deal with the space program/Austin's background ("The Rescue of Athena One", "Burning Bright", "The Pioneers", "The Deadly Replay": where we learn about Austin's near fatal plane accident) and the dangers of technology in the hands of America's inner enemies ("Population Zero", "Day of the Robot", "Run, Steve, Run"). Was the above review useful to you? 7 out of 7 people found the following review useful: Ahead of its time... from Toronto, Canada 25 August 2001 There is no question that The Six Million Dollar Man was as revolutionary a program in its prime as it is woefully overlooked today. Most of the great science fiction themes had been exhausted during the early Cold War era, when fears of alien invasions and nuclear holocaust were rampant. It was the horror genre, if anything, that enjoyed a resurgence in the 1970's, with such notable offerings as The Exorcist and Jaws, and television programs like Dark Shadows.

By contrast, the 70's were lean years for sci-fi - the classic motifs of the 60's were dead, and successful 80's tech-shows like Knight Rider were still on the shelf. But Col. Steve Austin virtually redefined the genre with his story of bionic implantation. His character was indisputably TV's first cybernetically enhanced human being of any significance. In fact, rarely did even the silver screen feature a cyborg in a major role before TSMDM debuted. After its long run at the top, Hollywood began churning out its subtle rip-offs, which spawned such diverse characters as "Bishop" in Alien, The Terminator, "Data" and the dreaded Borg from Star Trek TNG, and a host of mediocre Austin clones in Van Damme-style B-movies. Further, TSMDM was competent in its own right. The show was a household name during its reign, and gave birth to the kind of merchandising mania - action figures, board games, etc. - more typical of a big-budget motion picture than a television series.

There wasn't a young boy anywhere in North America who didn't mimic the Colonel's slow-motion antics in the schoolyard, and even parents inevitably ended up enjoying the program as much as their kids (name another show that can make that claim!). The cast was well-chosen and usually convincing, with Majors' understated but charming persona leading the way. The special effects were acceptable for the time, if not particularly ground-breaking. Best of all, the episodes were reliably action-packed, well developed and truly imaginative in their diversity and execution. The program touched on alien visitors, military themes, espionage, romance, and never lost its sense of perspective or sheer fun. My only complaint with TSMDM is that no station in my part of the world carries the show any longer. Amazingly, the Space Channel sees fit to broadcast garbage like Beauty and the Beast and Lexx, but turns its back on a genuine pioneer of the genre. It's confounding. Shows like this cannot be allowed to simply rot away in some vault. They must be preserved, just as legends in their time like Star Trek clearly have.

I'd love for my children to share in the awe and excitement I felt when TSMDM was new and fresh, and, quite frankly, I wouldn't mind feeling like a kid again myself! Was the above review useful to you? 8 out of 10 people found the following review useful: I Wish I Was Him from England 16 March 2003 The Six Million Dollar Man was one of my favourite TV shows, a show that I enjoyed without fail each week. Lee Majors played Col. Steve Austin, an astronaut who suffered an accident and was rebuilt by government agency, the OSI (I think it stood for Office of Strategic Intelligence). Austin was the world's first bionic man (well, not really because it later transpired that there was a seven million dollar man but that's another story). He had a bionic eye which could see for miles; he had a bionic arm and two bionic legs to help him run fast. The show was very entertaining. The sound effects as Austin used his bionic body parts were great. The sound of the bionic eye looking miles ahead-FANTASTIC! The sound of the bionic arm breaking a door down-FANTASTIC!

The sound of bionic legs running faster than any normal man-FANTASTIC! Whenever Austin jumped or ran fast, it would be done in slow motion which worked a hell of a lot better than if the scene had been speeded up. Richard Anderson played a good role as Oscar Goldman, chief of OSI (perhaps not the big chief but some kind of chief). He had good chemistry with Lee Majors on screen and it showed. There was also Martin E. Brooks who played Dr. Rudy Wells, the man responsible for Steve's bionic body parts. A great character who had his fair share of great storylines. The episodes were pure 70's fantasy. Austin took on spies, robots, aliens and even Bigfoot himself (my favourite episode). The music was great, the sound effects were great. The whole show was great. Definitely worth checking out on video or DVD. Was the above review useful to you? 5 out of 7 people found the following review useful: Best Sci-Fi show ever! from Kelowna, Canada 13 September 2004 I've loved this show ever since I was a kid in the 70's.

I went through 2 lunch kits [the blue one with the various scenes of Steve in action] and three of the action figures, the last of which I still have brand new in the box. I also had the bionic transport/repair set. Sadly, I never did acquire a Maskatron. My Mother still remembers walking into the living room just in time to see me doing a Bionic jump, in slow motion with the ch-ch-ch-ch-ch sound f/x, off the couch, or running in slow-mo down the hall. My best friend in grade 1 and 2 was TOTALLY convinced he was bionic and was, in fact, Steve Austin [and The Fonz, too]. To prove it one day, he jumped off of a 12 foot retaining wall on the school grounds, only to injure himself quite seriously. I remember seeing the ambulance coming right in to the school yard to pick him up [a funny side note, his name was Stephen!]. Anyway, I think season 1 and 2 were the only worthwhile episodes. Things started getting really silly in season 3 with the Bigfoot episodes.

It was always better when the stories remained fully human interest, with no aliens, E.S.P, Bigfoot, or the death probe. My favourite episodes are the Robot ones [Day of the Robot and Return of the Robot Maker]. Yes, the androids were a little far-fetched, but they seemed to dove-tail nicely into the whole bionic thing. Plus, the movie Westworld, which had just come out and was excellent, added some credibility. Some of the episodes still stand up well [The 7 Million Dollar Man, for instance], and are very good drama/sci-fi. It's unfortunate the last 2 or 3 seasons were so lame, but like The Night Stalker, the good ideas got used up pretty fast. Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 3: The Six Million Dollar Man - Show News, Reviews, Recaps and Photos - TV.com The Six Million Dollar Man Follow EDIT "Steve Austin, astronaut, a man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him, we have the technology. We have the capability to make the worlds first Bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better. Stronger.

Faster." This series chronicles the adventures of Steve Austin, cybernetically enhanced astronaut turned secret agent employed by the OSI under the command of Oscar Goldman and supervised by the scientist who created his cybernetics, Rudy Wells. Steve uses the superior strength and speed provided by his bionic arm and legs, and the enhanced vision provided by his artificial eye, to fight enemy agents, aliens, mad scientists, and a wide vareity of other villains. Last Man Standing A House Divided NEW More Info About This Show Categories Drama , Science Fiction Important: You must only upload images which you have created yourself or that you are expressly authorised or licensed to upload. By clicking "Publish", you are confirming that the image fully complies with TV.com’s Terms of Use and that you own all rights to the image or have authorization to upload it. Please read the following before uploading Do not upload anything which you do not own or are fully licensed to upload. The images should not contain any sexually explicit content, race hatred material or other offensive symbols or images. Remember: Abuse of the TV.com image system may result in you being banned from uploading images or from the entire site – so, play nice and respect the rules! Choose background: TV BANTER . . .

with Joanne Madden: Lee Majors: What is the Six Million Dollar Man up to these days? Lee Majors became famous for his portrayal of Colonel Steve Austin, the bionic man on the hit series The Six Million Dollar Man. The Six Million Dollar Man ran from 1974 until 1979 and sparked a succession of superheroes on television in the mid 1970s. Lee's character was an astronaut who had been severely injured when his experimental moon-landing craft crashed in a desert. In an attempt to save his life, government doctors performed a new kind of operation in which certain human parts were replaced by atomic-powered electromechanical devices. Steve Austin survived as a cyborg, part human and part machine. He could run at an incredible speed. He possessed superhuman vision and he had outstanding strength in his right arm. With these abilities, Austin went on dangerous crime-fighting missions for the Office of Scientific Information After The Six Million Dollar Man, Majors starred in another hit ABC series, The Fall Guy. He played Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stuntman who moonlighted as a bounty hunter. The Fall Guy ran from November of 1981 until May of 1986.

In the early 1990s, Lee moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and resided there for about ten years. In 2001, he hosted Forbidden Secrets on Pax TV, a one-hour series that focused on little-known secrets such as where to purchase cheap diamonds or how to change your identity. Majors made a guest appearance on William Shatner’s CBS comedy $#*! My Dad Says. The episode aired on February 3, 2011 and it marked the first time he and Shatner had worked together in 36 years (Shatner guest starred on The Six Million Dollar Man back in 1974). Some interesting facts about Lee Majors * Lee Majors’ real name is Harvey Lee Yeary. He was born on April 23, 1939 in Wyandotte, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. His father, Carl Yeary, died in a work-related accident before he was born. His mother, Alice Yeary, was killed in an automobile crash before his second birthday. The child was then adopted by his paternal aunt and uncle, Harvey and Mildred Yeary, and brought to their home in Middlesboro, Kentucky.

* His first television series was The Big Valley in 1965. He played the role of Heath Barkley, the illegitimate son of Victoria Barkley’s (played by Barbara Stanwyck) deceased husband, Tom. Lee beat out scores of young actors, including Burt Reynolds, for the part of Heath. * Majors has been married four times. His first marriage was to Kathy Robinson in 1961. They had one child, Lee Marjors, Jr. (born in 1962) and divorced in 1964. Lee then wed actress Farrah Fawcett on July 28, 1973. During Farrah’s Charlie’s Angels days, they were one of Hollywood’s most-watched couples, each starring in a hit television series. They eventually split up and were divorced on February 16, 1982. Lere married for a third time in 1988 to Playboy Playmate of 1985, Karen Valez.

Lee had three children with Valez; a daughter, Nikki Loren Majors (born 1988) and twin sons, Dane Luke Majors and Trey Kulle Majors (born 1992). The marriage ended with a bitter divorce in 1994. On November 1, 2002, Lee wed actress/model Faith Noelle Cross in Positano, Italy. They settled in Las Vegas, Nevada. At 71 years old, Lee Majors is 35 years older than 36-year-old Faith. * Lee reconnected with his ex-wife Farrah Fawcett shortly before her death from anal cancer in 2009. They hadn’t spoken to each other for many years. When she died on June 25, 2009, his issued a statement which read, “She fought a tremendous battle against a terrible disease. She was an angel on earth and now an angel forever. * Lee’s first screen appearance was in the 1964 movie Strait-Jacket with Joan Crawford and Diane Baker. * In 2003, Lee had single heart bypass surgery.

* All the running and jumping on The Six Million Dollar ravaged his knees. In a 2001 story by Kevin D. Thompson for Cox Newspapers, Lee is quoted as saying, “When I would jump into a scene, I always had to land stiff-legged and couldn’t go down on my hands because I was bionic. I had to absorb it all in my knees, and all that sudden impact really killed them.” - Joanne FAN CAST: The Six Million Dollar Man FAN CAST: The Six Million Dollar Man 1970's TV show gets a fake reboot into a big budget movie! "Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better...stronger...faster." Growing up in the 70’s and early 80’s, my addiction to comics and superheroes was evident. I stood at the comic rack at the grocery store while my mom did her shopping. Everyone knew not to bother the weird little kid at the rack.

I never left without getting a comic book either, It was the only thing that keep me calm and quiet in the car. I had my favorite shows back then like The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, Sanford and Son and CHiPs, but my absolute favorite was The Six Million Dollar Man. I’m sure everyone is familiar with this show or at least the new comic book series updated by Kevin Smith. The Six Million Dollar Man was played by Lee Majors, who became a pop culture icon during the 70’s. The show was about an astronaut who was involved in a terrible accident while working for the OSI (which was usually referred to as the Office of Scientific Intelligence, the Office of Scientific Investigation or the Office of Strategic Intelligence. His right arm, both legs and the left eye are replaced by "bionic" implants that enhance his strength, speed and vision far above human norms: he can run at speeds of 60 miles per hour (100 km/h), and his eye has a 20:1 zoom lens and infrared capabilities while his limbs all have the equivalent power of a bulldozer.

The show is based on the novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin and it aired on the ABC network from 1974 to 1978, had three television movies aired in 1973. Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers returned in three subsequent made-for-television movies: The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (1987), Bionic Showdown (1989). My movie would be a big budget, action pack, special effect extravaganza! Of course, I would change it to the "six billion dollar man" or set it back in the 70’s where it belongs. Here’s my cast. Col Steve Austin (Lee Majors)-Josh Duhamel He played a great soldier in the Transformers flicks. I don't feel like an astronaut is exactly a soldier but more of a military scientist but his build and looks would make him a believable astronaut cyborg. Plus with the budget this movie would have, I would want a cheaper actor for the lead since my supporting roles actor are going to be huge stars. Oscar Goldman Director of the OSI (Richard Anderson)-Tom Hanks He is one of the best actors of our generation.

No one can deny that. I’m judging this from his roles in Apollo 13 and Road To Perdition and even a little Castaway, where he portrayed a tough, firm, leader type character. Dr Rudy Wells (Martin E. Brooks)-Robert Downey Jr His fast talking and timing is why I like him for a brilliant Dr. Wells and he would add a little levity to the film. Hanks and Downey’s fees for these supporting roles would be pretty big so I’m trying to be as realistic as possible for this. (seasons 3-5, as well as on The Bionic Woman and in three movies) Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner)-Naomi Watts I didn’t want a super model who couldn’t act or a big action star who over acts, so I went with Watts who is a nice medium for this action movie. She looks “plain” enough to be tough and beautiful just like she was in King Kong. I think Duhamel and Watts would look believable together as well. Peggy Callahan secretary to Oscar Goldman (Jennifer Darling)-Meg Ryan I like her because I had a crush on her since I was a little kid.

She is getting up there in age and I would like to see her do something before she turns into Betty White. Oliver Spencer Director of the OSO (Darren McGavin)-Ed Harris I wanted a very tough looking older man to play the very first director of the agency that funded all this. Harris looks like he has seen some action back in the day. Maskatron (John Saxon)-Timothy Olyphant I again went with a cheaper actor, but his roles in Hitman, where he looks emotionless most of the time and The Crazies where he was pretty cool under pressure, made him my favorite for this cyborg villain. Special Effects would play a big part for him anyways since he changes his appearance. I would throw some cameos in here from the TV show as some of his disguises. Fembots-Rosario Dawson/Kelly Hu/Eva Mendes These gorgeous ladies wouldn’t have many lines and they are cast purely for eye candy. I chose each of them for certain attributes, see if you can tell which ones. Example: Mendes’ voluptuous backside from the terrible Spirit movie. How many times did you guys run that scene back?

I did about 25 times before my wife told me to burn the movie. All my Fembots have previously starred in CBM's. My little nod to CBM's, I guess. Bigfoot (Andre The Giant)-Paul Wight Since he would have no lines and all we need is a giant size mean looking man who will be covered in hair. I chose him because he hasn’t been in a big action flick as far as I know. This show had alot of the biggest stars appear as guests including Lee Majors famous sex symbol wife Farrah Fawcett. Thanks for your time. "The Six Million Dollar Man" (1974) Author: Thomas Rucki (filigrane@hotmail.com) from Paris, France To understand the genesis of the show, watch first Harve Bennett's "The Astronaut" (1972) ---with the music of Gil Mellé-- and "Texas, We've Got a Problem" (1974). With a good, solid, realistic in treatment (psychologically and artistically), 1973 pilot produced and directed by David Irving and starring Martin Balsam as Dr. Rudy Wells (see H. G.

Wells?) and Darren McGavin as the crippled cynical and manipulator Intelligent head Oliver Spencer who is also known as newspaper "Kolchak, The Night Stalker"; the show starts very well with Gil Mellé's electronic and jazzy score a la Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew", then comes a terrible second pilot "Wine, Woman and War", produced by Michael Gleason and written by Glen A. Larson with a dreadful main title and a horrible song by Dusty Springfield in which Steve Austin is a kind of reluctant second-rate James Bond whose mission ends with an atomic explosion. The series really finds its format with the third pilot: "The Solid Gold Kidnapping" with Jack Cole's famous techno medical main title (made with footages from the two pilots, video effects and body animations). During the middle of season 1, the music department decided to add sound effects from Universal's stock music library to highlight the bionic motions (some were already used in a previous series like the 1972 E.S.P. series "The Sixth Sense"---oddly enough, you can hear a noise from a missile when Austin launches an object into the air). The series had three Dr.

Rudy Wells: one played by Martin Balsam (first pilot), by Alan Oppenheimer (pilot 2 & 3 and season 1 & 2) and by Martin E. Brooks (season 3, 4 & 5). The first two seasons ---produced by Sam Strangis/Donald R. Boyle and Lionel E. Siegel/Joe L. Cramer--- were in the line of the pilots and then occurs the transitory season 3 ---in 1975, the main composer Oliver Nelson and the music supervisor Hal Mooney left---, a season 4 with some drastic changes (bad writers and producers, the lead wears a ridiculous thin moustache, Goldman has a new office's decoration and the music is composed and renewed by J. J. Johnson) and therefore an un-inspired season 5 ---without Harve Bennett--- in which the protagonist wears a pre-"Fall Guy" haircut. TSMDM is basically an espionage series with a shallow sci-fi canvas (everybody remember the zoom shot bionic left eye with the frames or the infrared vision); notice the various martial music themes to grasp the concept of this pro-gov/militaryNASA/technology drama.

The first pilot shows an offhand and rebel Steve Austin who refuses his injured disabled condition (even try to commit suicide) and his involvement in the scientifical department of the C.I.A. (here, O.S.O.: Office of Strategic Operation, and, later O.S.I.: Office of Scientifical Intelligence): official Oliver Spencer (later Richard Anderson as Oscar Goldman) even receivs a cold slap. From season 2, we are introduced to another bionic man: paranoid auto racing Barney Miller (with a season 3 sequel) in "The Seven Million Dollar Man", and a woman: tennis champ Jaimie Sommers, in a two-parter (with a season 3 sequel too) in "The Bionic Woman". From that point, the show slips into cheap bionic new products (Bigfoot, boy, dog) with a comic book leaning.

The best episodes are those which deal with the space program/Austin's background ("The Rescue of Athena One", "Burning Bright", "The Pioneers", "The Deadly Replay": where we learn about Austin's near fatal plane accident) and the dangers of technology in the hands of America's inner enemies ("Population Zero", "Day of the Robot", "Run, Steve, Run"). Was the above review useful to you? Your next box set: The Six Million Dollar Man | Television & radio | The Guardian Your next box set Your next box set: The Six Million Dollar Man Steve Austin was Superman, James Bond and Neil Armstrong rolled into one – how could anyone not watch this show? Decent, witty and brave … Lee Majors as Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man. Photograph: Everett Collection / Rex Feature Share on Messenger Close "Steve Austin … astronaut … a man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him . We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man.

Better than he was before …better, stronger, faster." Those words, familiar to any child of the 1970s, ushered in the weekly adventures of one of the most popular television heroes of all time. Steve Austin was an irresistible creation: a technologically superpowered spy and astronaut (he sometimes wore an unutterably cool jacket emblazoned with Nasa mission patches). He was Superman, James Bond and Neil Armstrong all rolled into one, and $6m was an almost incomprehensibly large amount of money: how could anyone not watch this show? Running for five seasons, 99 episodes, several movie-length pilots, crossover adventures with the spinoff series The Bionic Woman and three quite decent reunion TV movies, The Six Million Dollar Man is a textbook display of what mainstream US TV had to offer back then. It wasn't just the exciting premise (and title sequence) that worked; the show would have been nothing without star Lee Majors. A picture of cornfed American health and movie-star good looks, Majors (who was married to the world's number one pinup girl, Farrah Fawcett-Majors ) gave Austin an abundance of charm.

His slight squint in one eye made him look a bit cocky, but his bionic man was decent, polite, assured, witty and brave. The show hit big and Universal did everything it could to stay on top of the ratings – it didn't arrive fully formed, and seeing it change over the years makes it even more fascinating. Watching the episodes in sequence, you can practically see the workings. For the first TV movie, the approach was serious: Austin, traumatised by his devastating test-plane crash, rejected his new mechanical limbs and branded himself a "freak". As the show progressed, he cheered up and they added things such as the trademark bionic noise, an echoing metallic sound that first appeared in the episode Day Of The Robot where it was produced by an enemy robot. Darren McGavin's cold-hearted government operative from the pilot was replaced by a more friendly boss, Oscar Goldman (played by Richard Anderson), and the show moved further and further from the espionage adventures of Martin Caidin's Cyborg novels on which it was originally based.

Soon, Steve was up to his neck in Fembots, Aliens, Bigfoot (played by Andre The Giant), killer space probes, other bionic people and space missions (where his bionics would often fail in the extreme cold). He went everywhere (or as much of everywhere as they could fake on the Universal backlot). Plenty of it hasn't aged well, but just as much still pleasantly surprises – such as having Steve on friendly terms with the many Russian scientists and cosmonauts he encountered. But it's not a show about messages, it's about action, adventure, entertainment: three things it still delivers in abundance. They got great value from their $6m.

Question: Played by Lee Majors, Steve Austin, astronaut, A man barely alive, becomes who?
Answer: The Six Million Dollar Man